Every May, the Save the Children charity reports on the health of mothers and their children worldwide. I know and appreciate the impact of mothers. I also know about mothers dying in childbirth. It’s a miraculous but perilous act.
In this regard, sometimes we forget our own past and the situation in which some parts of the world still find themselves. My paternal grandmother, as a girl, had twin brothers age one and a half. When a deadly influenza swept through the area both twins died two weeks apart. Then my grandmother took sick and the doctor came to doctor her. Her mother, a primary-care nurse, refused treatment, saying “No you didn’t save my boys and I’ll look after her myself.” My grandmother survived. A healthy, educated mother was the reason.
Years later, my maternal grandfather simultaneously lost his wife and only child during childbirth at home. At the time, according to Statistics Canada, the maternal mortality ratio in Canada - maternal deaths per 100,000 live births - was 500. In the 1990s the ratio was less than 5 per 100,000 live births, among the lowest reported maternal mortality ratios in the world according to Unicef's The State of the World's Children 1997.
Definitions of Maternal Mortality
The definition of Maternal Mortality has broadened over time as reporting agencies have come to the realization that the death of mothers is often well past the time of childbirth.
In a report by the Public Health Agency in Canada, the Maternal Mortality definition was three-fold:
- based on the WHO’s 1975 international classification of diseases, Maternal Mortality is death while pregnant or within 42 days of the termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes;
- based on the WHO’s 1992 international classification of diseases and related health problems, Late Maternal Deaths are deaths from direct or indirect obstetric causes more than 42 days but less than one year after the termination of pregnancy;
- based on the WHO’s 1992 international classification of diseases and related health problems Pregnancy-related Deaths are deaths while pregnant or within 42 days of the termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the cause.
Save the Children Report
The May 3, 2011 report by the non-profit group Save the Children International, whose mission it is “to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives”, was the focus of an article by Karin Zeitvogel (AFP). In the article it was stated that “Norway is the best place to be a mom (and) Afghanistan the worst."
Based on the complete 2011 Mother’s Index Ranking, Canada was 20th between Greece and Italy. For the lifetime risk of maternal death, in Canada it was 1 in 5600 compared to 1 in 31, 800 in Greece and 1 in 15,200 for Italy.
As reported by Karin Zeitvogel, Save the Children researchers documented conditions for mothers and children in 164 countries: 43 developed nations and 121 in the developing world, which was broken down into 79 "less developed" and 42 "least developed" nations.
The Reasons for the Differences
The reasons for low maternal mortality are known. Nations like Norway and Sweden have shown the way. We just need to get involved and help to create the same conditions, both locally and globally. The report cited the following reasons for low maternal mortality rates in nations such as Norway and Sweden:
- top-notch medical care; high life expectancy
- generous maternity leave
- women spending a significant number of years in school
Sources:
- Statistics Canada. Selected mortality statistics, Canada, 1921-1990. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 1994. (Catalogue 82-548.)
- Unicef.The state of the world's children 1997. Toronto, Ont.: Oxford University Press, 1997.Report on Maternal Mortality in Canada. phac-aspc.gc.ca. 1998
- World Health Organization. International Classification of Diseases 1975 revision. Geneva: WHO 1977; 1:764
- World Health Organization. International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. 10th revision. Geneva WHO 1992; 1:1238
- savethechildren.org
- Karin Zeitvogel. Afghanistan worst place, Norway best to be a mom: Study. google.com/hostednews. May 3, 2011
James Gibson - James Gibson is a retired teacher and small business owner. He is a published writer and has a wide spectrum of interests.
